Maddie was called to be a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints serving in the Philippines Tacloban Mission. She reports to the Provo Missionary Training Center on August 5, 2015 where she will learn how to speak Cebuano. She should arrive in the Philippines at the end of September.

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Addresses:

Email:

Madison.Healey@myldsmail.net

PHILIPPINES TACLOBAN MISSION:

Sister Madison May Healey

Philippines Tacloban Mission

511 Maharlika Highway

Fatima Village

Tacloban City, LEYTE 6500

Philippines

Sunday, November 15, 2015

A family commits to being baptized, time is flying by!

Kamusta Kamo?!

This week has been crazy. I'm pretty sure I say that every week, but it's because it's true! Haha There is never a boring moment. I'm over my cold now, so that's good! We have traveled a lot this past week because we had a specialized training in Ormoc, Leyte, then district conference this weekend for all of Biliran. It's like the Stake Conference equivalent and it's always fun traveling to Biliran, Biliran in the back of our Branch President's truck.

Last week I told you about the Encina family diba? I love them! We had 2 lessons with them this week.They are not married... so that is our first challenge. A lot of people here in the Philippines are not married because it is expensive and divorce is pretty much impossible, like it doesn't exist, so they just don't get married to begin with. It's the norm. The 2nd challenge is tatay. He has a lot of word of wisdom problems... but nothing we can't handle. Tatay knows he can't be baptized until after he stops smoking and drinking. We had just committed his family to be baptized and they all accepted, except for him. We tried to help him understand that he could prepare to be ready for baptism on a specific day, that he didn't need to be ready right now but he just wouldn't accept it. So we moved on. His family kept joking how they would be saved in the next life and he would be left behind begging to be baptized. It was so funny! Tatay is the one who starts our lessons, does all the following up, and ends them (although we make sure we do close it before he picks someone to pray) We were closing the lesson, tatay was getting ready to call on someone to pray and he got in the prayer position and I asked him to pray. And he did! Which was strange, because normally he fights it says he's not ready. But he prayed! He started out sarcastically: (yes this was in English)

"Lord, Forgive me Lord. Because I do the smoking and the drinking."

And we just thought... oh no... but then he paused and started again in Cebuano, and it was SO sincere. He even started crying and the spirit was SO strong. I almost starting crying too. haha He just asked for help and guidance. After he was done we asked him how he was feeling and then asked him if he would be baptized, and he said YES!!!!! I don't think I've ever been happier in my life! And I just wanted to hug him!!! But that's not allowed...haha I am SO happy for this family! Their daughter, Janel, knows that the church is true. She has a testimony. Now she is waiting for her family to catch up. I love them so much.

This week has been great. It's crazy how the time flies. Before I know it, it will be P-day again and I will be struggling to remember what even happened in the past week to tell all of you. haha